president was among the world leaders in new york this week for the annual u.n. general assembly, but what many people do not know is that after surviving seven assassination attempts, he lived in exile, for two decades, near atlanta georgia. the libyan president spoke exclusively to nbc's ann curry about the trouble his country is now facing. >> you've within living in atlanta, for many years. what made you want to leave the comfort and relative safety of staying in this life and jump into the fire, as you have? >> as much a jump into the fire didn't start now, i started in 1980, when i decide to defect from the regime and called for openly, for its downfall and its toppling, and to topple it, and i didn't leave home for good in exile. i left my home with the hope to return it. being liberated now, it's my dream and my hope to return to my hope to libya, and to die there and to be buried in libya. but at one time, i was preparing myself to die in exile. >> that's very emotional for you to think about? you thought you might die, never being able to see your country again. >> to see that ta